Though he is not much of a 3-point shooter and the Pelicans could be lacking in their starting lineup in that area and the spacing it brings, Williamson does not need much room to do damage.īesides, the starting lineup with Hayes in that spot, outscored opponents by 8.2 points per 100 possessions in the 12 games they were together with Ingram and McCollum flourishing while Jones took on the toughest assignments he could find and exceled. Few players bend a defense the way Williamson does as a matchup nightmare for any opponent. But in his second season, he averaged 27 points on a ridiculous 61.1 percent shooting. Williamson missed all of last season and in the two seasons he did play, he played just 85 games. There are no questions about what he brings, with production even greater than his sensational highlights. There will be questions about whether Williamson can stay healthy until he does. And they had young legs and energy from Herb Jones, Troy Murphy, Jose Alvarado, Jaxson Hayes and Trey Murphy III.ĭash rally for win over Megan Rapinoe, OL Reign They had a good mix of the old and new style of center play from Jonas Valanciunas. They added just what they needed with the shooting and veteran savvy of C.J. The Pelicans were very good by the end of the season without him, winning a pair of play-in games and two more in the first-round against the Suns, leaving their 1-12 start far behind and improving in other ways through the season.
So long: F Gary Clark, G Tony Snell, G Jared Harper.Īs impossible as it is to not consider what the Pelicans can be if Zion Williamson can remain healthy and produce as he did in his first two seasons, some perspective offers an even better view of what is possible. Liddell (second-round pick,) F Karlo Matkovic (second-round pick.) Welcome: G Dyson Daniels (first-round pick,) F E.J. We continue with a look at the Western Conference teams that are projected to be in contention for the four play-in spots. The Jazz’s rush to emulate the rebuilding process of the Thunder and Rockets has not gotten around to a deal to ship out Donovan Mitchell, but that could happen, too.įor now, with enough complete, it seems time to consider the way the deals that have been completed have changed the NBA power structure, from the champion Warriors’ changing out role players to the runner-up Celtics bringing in reinforcements to the annual Lakers’ drama in an effort to keep up with the resurgent team down the hall. Russell Westbrook is still in Los Angeles, though the Lakers perhaps would prefer if he was not. With summer league complete and front offices generally heading to beaches and golf courses - albeit with cell phones at the ready - things generally get quiet.īut Kevin Durant is still with the Brooklyn Nets, though he would rather not be.
#Game crack status free
The draft came and went, followed by the usual free agency transformation of rosters, along with a healthy number of trades. The predraft process, complete with its trade talks and roster decisions, ended. This is normally the slow period and still could be.